Alone on the Outside
by Highlord90
Summary: SOME SPOILERS:- When Joel is killed at the University Ellie has to make an important decision, keep going on to Salt Lake or go back to Tommy's? Her journey is fraught with danger, terrible pain and loss but can young Ellie overcome these trials and make it safely to whichever destination she chooses without Joel to protect her? Some original characters added.
1. A bad day going good

_Please take my dyslexia into consideration, I of all people hate it when a spelling error comes through in a story but I promise that I proof read as much as I can until mistakes simply don't come up for me but let's be thankful for spell check on MS Word else this would be totally unreadable. _

_Also, as the summary states, I've never used a character in a Fan-Fic that isn't my own and I did try to capture Ellie's personality but remember she is hurting after the loss of Joel so their won't be much of funny Ellie here just brooding Ellie but all in all I like how this chapter turned out. I will submit more chapters if I can but I tend to lose interest although I have this story planned from start to finish._

_I'm not American by the way (Scottish :D) so my dialogue may be also suffer when I try to imitate the slang and stuff so if it's off or a little bit offensive let me know._

"Joel…Joel!" Ellie cried as she shook the lifeless body of her friend. He had fallen off a balcony at the University of Eastern Colorado where a group of Hunters had attacked them and was impaled on a long piece of jagged metal sticking out of the ground. They had fought people like that lots of times though and came out alive so why was today any different?

"Wake up you fucker!" Ellie shouted, tears rolling down her cheeks, "Please…Please don't leave me alone!"

She wanted him to breathe again, make a small grunting noise to prove he was coming to or clench his fist as a sign that he was still alive like in all those books she read back in Boston's QZ…But he didn't, the blood still poured out his wound, which her hands were covered with, and he wasn't breathing…

"Fucker…" she sobbed as she banged on his chest, "No…This can't be happening," she started to shake violently as grief overwhelmed her but she couldn't hang around here, not while those bastards at the university were still looking for her, she got back up to her feet after taking Joel's pack and running towards Callus. It was heavy with the supplies and weapon's he'd gathered over the months they'd spent together and she managed to hoist it over Callus, their…no her…horse.

"Come on boy," she said and climbed over him to sit on his back then kicked him into a fast run. The Hunter's at the University had found Ellie and they started firing at her with their guns but she kept her head low. As Ellie rode away she stole once last glance at Joel as the Hunter's converged on his body and started to remove his clothes.

She looked away when they did that, wishing she didn't have to leave the body behind. This was all her fault, she should never have let that first Hunter see her out the window because then they might have managed to just sneak out and Joel would be taking her to the Hospital is Salt Lake City but without Joel she knew she wouldn't make it.

What to do? As she rode through the streets on Callus, hoping no one would see her, she weighed her options. If, in fact, she did brave the journey to Salt Lake City then who was to say it wasn't just another wild goose chase with an abandoned outpost and even then she might not be lucky enough to find information on where they went like at the University and for all she knew it was just as likely that the Fireflies there had been killed.

It wasn't worth the risk, not without Joel to watch her back like she had watched his and she sure as hell wasn't going to be alone like Bill, that dude was crazy. She had just one more option, she remembered Joel's brother, Tommy, offering them a place in his town. It had electricity and a wall with searchlights and all that shit but a place like that was a target for bandits looking to occupy it by force, she remembered the attack during her first visit.

Ellie just shrugged her shoulders; she would be safer there than out here, that was for sure and she knew Tommy wouldn't turn her down, hell he might even take her to Salt Lake?

After some hard riding, Ellie managed to get out of Colorado but she realized it wasn't in the same direction she took with Joel and that the landscape here was totally new. She knew she had to go back to Jackson County to find Tommy's Town but she couldn't remember which direction to go in, North maybe?

She got off of Callus sometime later after riding him for a few hours, Joel always said there wasn't any point in tiring him out so she found a place with plenty of grass for him to graze on. Ellie looked around her but she hadn't seen anyone for hours and now that it was dark, she decided she was safe enough to have a rest until morning.

Ellie had stopped here after making out a structure in the darkness, two even, so she decided to snoop around but she almost cut her hand on barbed wire when she tried to vault over something. After shining her torch on it briefly she realized it was a fortified fence complete with a gate that was locked so she carefully climbed over it this time although she cut her leg on the way down.

The fence was good but it would be almost useless against a horde of infected, the most it would do is slow them down, but at least Hunter's couldn't vault over it giving the potential occupants time to shoot them down although Ellie hoped this place was empty. After a quick look she found out that the whole fence was covered with barbed wire and it surrounded a large house and barn with not a gap in sight and the fact that the gate was locked made Ellie think she wouldn't be alone here but she wasn't going to pass up a chance to sleep with a roof over her head and the house was dark so that was a good sign.

She decided it was best to just sleep in the barn and avoid the house altogether but upon trying to open the barn door she realized it was locked from the other side. "Son of a bitch," Ellie cursed loudly, her voice was still husky from crying over Joel's death a few hours ago and her eyes were red too.

She would have called to see if someone was hiding inside but that would have been a risk, for all she knew they had a Clicker locked inside, so she decided to find another way in. She looked up and saw a hole in the wall above the door with the bottom of a ladder sticking out of it but it was too high for the fourteen year old to grab onto.

Ellie then touched the wooden wall, faded red paint clung to the wood but despite the wear on it, it was still pretty strong but even if she could break through it she wouldn't because if the barn was clean there was no point in putting a hole through a safe space to sleep for her and even Callus.

She circled the barn but found no other way in save for that hole with the ladder and she had no way of getting that ladder down unless she was standing on something high.

Ellie turned to look at Callus who grazed by the side of the road outside the fence in the moonlight; maybe if he stayed still long enough she could stand on his back and grab the ladder but then what? The ladder would be heavy and she'd probably fall off and break her neck if he moved or bolted at the extra weight.

No it was too risky.

Ellie sighed and sat against the wall, she didn't want to go into the house because who ever had went to the trouble of fortifying the barn and fence was maybe still here. She did one last circle of the barn but this time looking for something to climb onto but there was nothing so she quietly but reluctantly approached the house and slowly searched around it.

Eventually Ellie spotted what looked like a dumpster against the rear wall and smiled, some luck at last. She walked up to it and began to pull on it to move it away from the wall but the damn thing was heavy. "Oh man," she said dejectedly after trying to pull until her head spun, she decided to take some of the crap out to make it lighter but when she tried to open she found a padlock keeping it shut, grunting in irritation she attempted to force it open and she was unaware of the figure coming up behind her.

"You'll not find anything in there except for animal feed," said a voice behind Ellie who jumped around and reached for her gun, "No you don't," it was an old guy with a thick beard, long white hair and a deep voice and he held a rifle at her, "Keep your hands on your head missy, I don't want to have to shoot you but I will!"

Ellie growled at being snuck up on but did as she was told, "Let me go asshole, I'm not here too steal your shit," she told him, "I just came to sleep in the barn."

The man studied her with a softer eye, "You're not a troublemaker are you?"

Ellie shook her head, "I don't try and start fights if that's what you're asking," she told him quickly, "Can I go?"

The man studied her for a few more seconds, "We've got spare beds upstairs," he told her bluntly, "If you don't make trouble you can stay for one night and get some food in you?"

Ellie considered the proposal, she'd had a pretty shitty day so far and all she wanted to do was sleep so what was the harm in a nice, warm bed?

There was safety in numbers after all.

"I get keep to my knife, I can't sleep without it," she offered, "And you give me my guns when I'm ready to leave?" she held out her still bloodstained hand slowly and the man looked into her eyes then at her outstretched hand, "Do we have a deal?" Ellie asked him.

The man smiled behind his beard and lowered his gun. "Deal," he shook her hand then moved behind Ellie and took her backpack, "We'll put them under the stairs," he told her, "You'll get them in the morning."

"Thanks," Ellie said and she was taken inside the house. Surprisingly it had electricity because the lights were working but with blackout blinds were over all the windows, which was why Ellie assumed it was deserted. "Nice setup," she said with genuine awe, "How'd you get the electricity?"

"Keep's us comfortable," the man said with a smile, "There's a generator in the basement my son modified so its gas powered or some such, now I'll see if Betty has something we can spare for you to eat." He left the room with her guns and supplies and a minute later a woman came in from what might have been the living room.

"Hello there," the woman said kindly in a thick, southern accent which was a lot like Joel's had been. She was as old as her husband and a little on the fat side, "What's your name sweetheart?"

Ellie was taken aback at the sweetness of this woman; at least her husband spoke to her like an adult. "Uh…my name's Ellie," she told them both as she glanced at them; she still stood by the door leading into the kitchen with her hands folded over her chest.

"Well I'm Betty and this is Derek," she patted her husband's shoulder, "Our son Thomas is in the barn keeping a look out and making sure the animals are safe for the night." Ellie realized that was why the ladder was up there, someone was there after all.

"He radioed in to say he saw a kid snooping around," Derek told Ellie, "Anyway, do we have anything to spare for Ellie to eat honey?"

"Oh my yes, you must be hungry I'd imagine," Betty waked over to the cupboards, "Well we don't have anything fresh at the moment, how about corned beef?"

"I'm not picky," Ellie assured her so Betty brought over the can and put it on the table after opening it. When Ellie sat down Betty noticed the blood on her hands that went up past her wrists and Ellie caught her looking. The blood was from when she had tried to stop Joel's bleeding, she hadn't had a chance to clean in. "It's not from fighting infected," she assured them.

"Well why are you covered in blood then?" Derek asked her, he fingered his rifle.

Ellie thought about Joel and how she had left back at the University and shook her head, "Don't worry about it, okay?"

They got the hint, "Well you'll need to wash your hands we have some water stocked in the bathroom cupboard upstairs." She pointed towards the hallway, "Use as much as you need, Derek and Thomas fenced off a freshwater spring so we've got plenty."

"You said you had fresh food?" Ellie asked, trying not to sound hopeful.

"'Had' is right," Derek said with a sigh, "We grow wheat for flour which we make into flat bread using a stone oven but we just used up the last batch, that'll be it until tomorrow."

"You grow stuff here?" Ellie's eyes widened, Tommy's Town back in Jackson County grew stuff too.

"Well we've just done a harvest and that'll be us until spring," he indicated to the stairs, "Now go wash up before you eat."

Ellie nodded her head and left the room then ran up the stairs two at a time and found the bathroom. Before washing her hands to took several swigs of the water to sate her thirst then poured some into the sink and washed away the blood which left the water a crimson color. After washing her hands she decided to just strip down then drained and refilled the sink, after that she wetted a towel and washed herself clean. It may be a little rude using someone's water like this but Ellie didn't know when a chance to bathe would come again and it wasn't like they didn't have the water to spare.

When her hand ran over her bite mark the whole reason for this stupid journey came back to mind and how she might be the cure for the infection.

"Fuck that," she told herself and dressed again after bathing. Even though she was wearing filthy clothing it felt good to at least be slightly less disgusting than before. She walked back downstairs where Betty was busy at one of the counters. When she saw Ellie the old woman smiled, "That took you long enough?"

"Sorry," Ellie said, "I needed to clean a few cuts and stuff."

"That's alright," she nodded to the empty seat where Ellie's meal sat waiting with a can opener and spoon, "Now eat something, you look halfway to starving."

Ellie sat down and after a few minutes of shoveling the food into her mouth she got around to savoring the meat. Betty was busy kneading dough and neither of them spoke much. After Ellie finished scraping the bottom of the can she explored the house and found the room she was offered, it was just a mattress with no pillow or duvet but it sure as hell beat the ground and she had a sleeping bag to cover herself with. The whole house was pretty clean and not so run down but the pictures on the walls suggested someone else lived here before Derek and his family moved in.

She found Derek sitting in the living room reading a book and when Ellie joined him on an adjacent armchair he looked up at her and spoke. "You know, I've read this book a million times in the twenty years since this started and I still wish it could end differently."

Ellie smiled, "I know the feeling."

"You know Ellie, you have a nice smile; you should do it more often?"

Ellie was usually quite a smiley girl, "I just don't have a lot to smile about today." They sat in silence for a few minutes.

"So where you headed?" Derek asked to break the silence as he turned the page of his book.

Ellie didn't see any harm in telling him, "I'm meant to be going to Jackson County but I kind of lost my way."

"You came from the city right?" Ellie nodded, "Then you're on the right track, if memory serves." He watched as Ellie's eyes looked to the side and a sad expression crossed her face. He gave her a pitied look, "What happened you to Ellie," he asked her gently, "And why are you alone?"

Just then a voice came out of a radio fixed to Derek's belt. "Hey pa," a male voice said, "You there?"

Derek spoke into his radio and his question was forgotten much to Ellie's relief, "What is it Thomas, are the animals okay?"

"Their fine pa but I was coming out and the ladder fell outside," Thomas said, sounding embarrassed, "Can you come out and help please?"

Derek sighed, "You idiot, did you drop it again?"

A few seconds of silence, "Yeah…sorry" Ellie smiled, what a dumbass.

"I swear that boy was born backwards," Derek mumbled to himself, "He's good at chores and fixing shit but I swear to god he didn't learn a damn thing at that University," Ellie wondered if he meant the University she left behind. "Come on Ellie, time to introduce you to Thomas."

Ellie decided to just follow him, she didn't want to seem rude by not helping and this family had been pretty solid so far. They walked outside towards the barn where the ladder had indeed fallen over and Ellie shined her torch into the opening above the barn door. Poking his head out was a man of about forty. His hair was as long as his dad's but a dark brown in color and his beard looked a little better kept.

"Thomas," Derek called, "This here's Ellie."

Thomas waved, "Be a darlin' and pick up that ladder wont you sweetheart?"

"Is it okay if you open the door so my horse can get in first?" Ellie asked.

"You have a horse?" Ellie nodded and Derek looked when she pointed towards Callus, "If we had one we could use the old plough we found in the barn."

"Well you can't have Callus," Ellie said directly, "I need him to get where I'm going quickly."

"I wasn't asking, but don't give me that look I don't mean I'm just going to take him either," Derek assured her when Ellie gave him a look of fear, "Thomas, go open the doors and let her horse sleep with the livestock," he looked back at Ellie, "Their timid so he'll be alright."

Ellie went and led Callus into the barn, Thomas stayed inside to lock it then he climbed down the ladder and carried it towards the house. "We'll be locking up for the night," he told Ellie, "If anything happens then use the window in your room to get out, me and pa keep watch on the balcony in shifts."

Ellie hoped nothing bad would happen; she had had enough 'bad' to last a lifetime just from today. "I can do a shift?" Ellie offered, "I mean, you guys didn't have to give me a bed tonight so it's fair right?"

Derek shook his head, "Sorry but your not getting a gun until you leave tomorrow," he patted her shoulder and Ellie jumped out of his reach after slapping his hand away, "Sorry," he told her then continued on, "You should just rest for the night."

Ellie was embarrassed at her reaction, Joel had never been the touchy feely type but even he showed _some _affection. "It's fine," she said nervously. She ended up just going to bed when they got inside and she didn't wake up until the sun was high in the sky, she figured it was almost noon. The night wasn't exactly easy, being alone in her room just reminded Ellie of her fears of being alone on the road again and even though she tried to control herself she couldn't stop herself from crying at the thought of doing this without Joel.

After just lying on the bed for half an hour she got up and went downstairs. Her pack was on the table and she found a few extra cans of food that had been put inside after making sure she still had all her gear, which she did, and on a plate beside the pack was two slices of freshly cooked flat bread. After devouring the fresh meal Ellie decided to leave without saying goodbye, it was bad enough she had started to like them and when she got attached to people they just ended up dying or leaving her.

Callus was already waiting outside the fence so Ellie mounted him and looked to the horizon. "Come on boy," she said and made him go into a gentle trot. She looked back at the farm and wished she could stay longer but she told herself again it was best not to get attached, once she was at Tommy's Town she would most likely make friends there…

She just knew she'd be happy there too...


	2. The waiting game

_At first I wasn't too sure about this chapter but after doing a good long re-read I'm happy with the turnout and most of the characterization as I tried to make Ellie a little more spunky in this one. _

Ellie slumped forward in the saddle, Callus had slowed his pace and both horse and girl were tired. Last night she had slept in the safety of a farm but tonight it looked like she'd be roughing it in an empty building. Late that afternoon she and Callus had come across a town and Ellie had hoped to get through this town before sundown but between road blocks and obstacles Callus couldn't get over she had spent half of her day here and now the sun was setting. Ellie hadn't taken the time to eat either, always telling herself she would eat once she was out but that moment never came.

"Okay boy, you did damn good today buddy," she leaned forward and stroked Callus on the neck. The horse's breathing was heavy and labored and his head hung low, "I know buddy, I'm beat too." She climbed off of him and stretched before taking him by the reigns towards what looked to be an abandoned shop. "Alright, I'll have a look around," she tied his reigns to a rusted sign post and looked up and down the street before looking in at the shop: it was just her and Callus so far but Ellie knew better than to assume, assumptions got people killed.

Ellie crouched low and walked slowly and carefully into the shop through the open door, watching each step so not to step on a piece of glass that littered the floor from a broken freezer. She crept behind the counter but there was nothing she would call usable, Joel was always so good at foraging for shit that was useful but Ellie didn't have half the experience he did.

As she searched the rest of the shop floor she found some cans of food overlooked by looters among the shelves, "Jackpot," she said quietly with a smile. She carefully climbed over a shelf that had been knocked over in front of a door to get into the hallway then flicked on her torch to fight back the darkness and almost screamed at what she saw.

Standing about a foot in front of her was a Runner; its head was down as it moaned into its hands and had thankfully not seen her yet. It was a man wearing tattered old clothes; his face was a mess of sores and what looked like rashes with dried blood on his neck, the bite mark she thought.

Ellie really listened now, she could hear more groans upstairs but she was alone down here except for the one in front of her. From around her shoulder she drew her bow and knocked an arrow, she would have liked to knife it but with who knows how many more in the building with her she didn't want to risk being any noise.

With a quiet twang the arrow flew through the air and struck the Runner in the neck and he fell to the floor dead, Ellie closed her eyes and listened, the others hadn't heard. Heart beating rapidly, she climbed the stairs slowly with her bow held out in front of her, once she reached the top she carefully peaked around the corner.

A runner was at the opposite end of the hallway and it was heading towards her slowly, if it had seen her though it would have started screaming.

She would need to be quick if she was going to take it down. Ellie waited patiently with her bow at the ready and as soon as its head poked out from behind the wall she shot it in the side but thankfully it was a killing blow.

After retrieving the unbroken arrow she readied it again and carefully went from room clearing out the infected. Once she was safe Ellie began to search the second floor and found a half empty box of revolver ammo tucked away in the desk of someone's study and some food in the kitchen. After that she brought Callus into the hallway after moving the shelf but then she moved it back in place although this time she made sure it was standing.

Finally, she gave Callus some dried peaches from her food supply but for herself she decided not to eat anything until the morning, she wasn't that hungry, so she curled up in the study and slept.

She dreamed of Joel and her parents that night…

Ellie was awoken in the night by noises downstairs. She gasped slightly in fright as she came out of her sleep and tried to clear her tired mind so she could listen. It was a dragging sound which meant someone, a human, was moving things downstairs.

It sounded like he was dragging the shelves away from the door.

Ellie got up and closed the door to the study she had decided to sleep in which was at the far end of the hall. She then heard Callus cry out in fear for a few seconds before he fell silent and a dull thud resounded through the shop and then a voice spoke out, "Hey boys, I found a horse," he said with a laugh, "Anyone hungry?" She heard the static reply but couldn't make out what was said back, "Yeah, yeah, yeah I'll keep looking, fucking slave driver." Ellie was seething, did he just kill Callus?

The guy started to climb the stairs and Ellie could hear him searching every room along the way but he found nothing because she had already claimed anything of use. When he eventually came to her room Ellie was hidden behind the door when he opened it. He walked in a leisurely and carelessly, the idiot, Ellie easily snuck up behind him then jumped onto his back and wrapped her legs and arms around his torso to begin repeatedly stabbing him in the neck.

"You…killed…my…horse…you…fucker!" Ellie shouted, she listened to him scream in agony knowing it might bring trouble but she was just so fucking angry! That horse was the only living thing she trusted! Eventually he collapsed and fell forward, dead, so Ellie climbed off him and kicked him in the side repeatedly. "You fucking asshole!"

"Did you just hear screaming?"

"Shit!" Ellie exclaimed loudly.

Ellie heard people running upstairs but she had picked the room with a fire escape just for such an occasion. She climbed out of the window and made for the ladder just a shout came from the room. "Oh shit," the man shouted in shock, "Shit man, Jerry's dead, Alan your brother's dead!"

"Don't fucking joke about that!" called the voice from downstairs but then he too went up to the room and moments later Ellie heard a cry of anguish as she mounted the ladder. "The window!" shouted the dead guy's brother, Alan.

Ellie hurried to start climbing down but as soon she put her foot on the ladder it collapsed and she fell towards the ground and landed hard on her back. Dizzy and winded, Ellie moaned and tried to get to her feet but she took too long and felt a pair of hands grab her around the waist. "Where you goin' you little bitch!" It was Alan, she felt him turn her around then he punched her hard in the stomach, "Think you can kill my brother and get away with it!"

When she doubled over he kicked her in the face just as hard and sent her back towards the ground with blood coming out of her nose and mouth. The guy towered over her and lifted her head off the ground by her ponytail and punched her once in the face. Ellie cried out in pain as two more punishing blows struck her.

"Hey, hey, hey," said the other guy quickly, "She's had enough, shoot the kid and be done with it okay?"

"Fuck you man," Alan pushed his comrade aside, "I'll be finished when I've beat her to death!" He landed one more punch before the other guy grabbed Alan's fist. Ellie screamed in pain.

"She's screaming man, there's no point in making more noise than necessary," the other man reasoned and put an arm on Alan's shaking shoulder, he also looked down at Ellie whose eyes were closed, "Shoot her and we can go bury Jerry good and proper."

Ellie opened one and looked at the pair, they both looked like shit. She tried to sit up but the dead guy's brother pushed her down. "Don't move another fucking muscle," he warned her, "Or I'll break your fucking leg and leave you to the Runners!" He pulled out a pistol and pointed it at her head. "You're damn lucky he was here else I could have gone all night."

Ellie wasn't going to beg, if she was going to die here then whatever so she closed her eyes and waited for the gunshot. At least that's what would have happened if not for the Clickers. The clicking came from the house opposite the shop and suddenly the door burst open. "Run!" shouted the second guy, "Leave the kid, the Clickers will get her!"

The brother grunted in frustration then stamped on Ellie's ankle, she held back a scream of pain as her foot cracked and the guy ran. She just had to be quiet, the Clickers were going after the Hunters but they hadn't heard her she hoped. She could see them walking past her and one, luckily for her, stepped right over her without knowing she was there.

Once they were gone Ellie got up and put some weight on her foot, it didn't feel broken so maybe it was just a sprain but she walked with a limp and it hurt with every step. She couldn't be here anymore and without Callus she would at least not have to find a way through for him too. She kept on heading North through the town, wincing in pain every time she put on weight on her foot, but she kept a steady pace through the dark streets. Fear overwhelmed her however, gripped her like an iron vice around the heart, she dreaded running into the Hunters again knowing what would happen to her.

Eventually she couldn't take the pain for much longer and she looked around desperately for a house to hide in. Breathing heavily, almost crying from the pain in her ankle, she headed towards the first one she saw down the street that was open only to walk right into the torchlight of that same Hunter who had just beaten the shit out of her.

"You're still alive!" he shouted immediately upon recognizing her.

"Oh shit!" Ellie shouted and ran for the house as fast as her sore ankle would allow and managed too slam the door on the Hunter's face as the man charged at her, he fell back after getting a face full of glass. She could hear more footsteps behind her which meant the whole fucking crew was back together. The door hit the Hunter's face hard and he fell back, dazed, which gave Ellie the time she needed to charge up the stairs.

"Gotta get to the attic," she told herself in a shaky voice and when she found the string hanging from the ceiling she knew she had found her way up so she jumped and grabbed a hold of the string and the ladder came down with her. Ellie quickly cut the string with her switchblade then scampered up the steps just as the Hunter made his way upstairs. Once up Ellie pulled on the steps and they folded back into place before the asshole could even touch them.

With a slam she was plunged into darkness and Ellie fainted from the exertion…

"Are you fucking stupid," said a new voice, "Don't go wasting bullets on shit you can't see, if you want her dead so bad we'll starve her out!"

Ellie woke up because of the voices.

"Secure the house and get comfy, that little bitch won't leave here alive Alan, I promise," this guy had to be the leader.

Ellie sat up and groaned from the pain all over her body. She was happy they wouldn't be charging up to kill her though, hell a slow death sounded alright now compared to another beating but at least she had a chance. Ellie crawled to a corner of the attic and pulled out some medicinal alcohol from her supplies then used a piece of clean cloth to dab at her cuts but her ankle would heal on its own if she stayed off of it.

There was a window up here, a circular one, and she found out she could push it open so she had her escape route but for now she needed to wait until her ankle was a little better. She would have tried to sleep but the constant presence of the Hunters stopped her from managing.

The morning came slowly. Below her she could hear movement so the Hunters were still in the house. She smelled something good from downstairs too, something cooked and meaty.

"Man that horse is good!" shouted the guy called Alan from below, "I hope you don't mind us eating him kid, would've been a waste ya know?"

Laughter resounded through the house but Ellie just sighed, "I hope you choke you assholes!" More laughter came from below. Despite her disgust she couldn't help but drool at the smell and her stomach rumbled painfully because she hadn't eaten at all since yesterday morning but she had to save her food if these guys planned on sticking around and she wasn't sure how long it would take before she could walk properly again.

She had her exit planned and she would use it even if it killed her but until then she waited. She waited the rest of the day before she ate and she managed to get some sleep…

The Hunters below her were fairly quiet, only Alan spoke to her but it was usually just to taunt or scare her and most of the time it worked.

"When I get up there I'm going to enjoy to cutting you into tiny pieces," he would say, "I'll start by breaking every bone in your body then cut you from the feet up!"

Then he became more and more disgusting. "I haven't seen a woman in months," he said one time, "You're a little young for my tastes but who can afford to be picky." Ellie almost reacted to that one; she believed he wasn't above raping her just to make her suffer.

"Maybe we'll put your head on our door back home," he suggested, "I'll do it while you're still alive so that we can get the face just right."

"That's enough Alan," someone finally said, it was their leader, "Get some sleep, she isn't going anywhere."

"Whatever you say boss," Alan said, clearly a slave to reason, "She better not get out."

"You said you broke her ankle," he assured Alan, "Your little prize will still be waiting."

Ellie sighed and moved to lie down. After just a day here she already hated this fucking attic…

The next morning she woke up feeling slightly less sore, her eye still hurt when she opened it too much and her ankle was tender but maybe if she held out just one more day she could escape the next night. Alan began taunting her throughout the day again, offering her a quick death if she came out before the sun went down but she wanted to live, she'd risk dying slowly if it meant she might get through today and tomorrow alive.

"Sorry buddy," Ellie shouted down, the first time she had spoken in days, "But your not gonna catch me and if you even touch me I'll stab you in your balls you fucker," Ellie wanted to hurt this bastard for what he did to her already; "You know your brother screamed like a bitch when I stabbed him the neck!" That made him mad; he started firing at the ceiling until he was stopped by their leader.

"No I want that bitch dead now!" Alan man cried angrily, "Give me a damn Molotov I'll burn the little shit out!"

"Hey, calm down," their leader said calmly, "Give it a few more days before we go back home, okay, but we're not wasting Molotov's on a little girl who might get out during the fire."

"Why don't we just get a ladder and break in there?" another voice suggested.

"She has a weapon," the leader told his boy, "If we poke our heads up there she'll not hesitate to get us between the eyeballs dumbass."

"Come on guys stop arguing over little old me," Ellie teased, "I'm just a sweet, defenseless little girl!"

"If we believed that we wouldn't be starving you out," the leader seemed to find her teasing funny, "She's got guts," Ellie heard him say, "If she hadn't wasted Jerry I might actually like her…"

Another day passed and Ellie had had enough, she tested her ankle and although it hurt she felt like she could walk a little but if there was any fighting to be done she had her Shorty to take care of the assholes, she'd prefer to avoid any fighting if she could. She approached the window quietly, trying not to make any noise.

The window was easily opened so she slid under it and below her was the low roof of the porch which she would use to sneak down to street level and make her escape from this piece of shit town. Of course it wouldn't be so simple.

It was pretty late because the others were probably sleeping, she hadn't heard a word for a while, so all she had to do was watch out for their lookouts but that would be easy enough if she was careful. She turned around after opening the window so she could slide out and braced herself for the landing; it would irritate her sore ankle no doubt.

Taking a deep breath, Ellie slid down and dangled off the edge, looking down she saw the porch roof and it was close so she let go and dropped about a foot before she landed with a very quiet thud. As soon as she landed she pressed herself against the wall, she had no way of knowing if the lookout had heard her so she crawled to the edge, flat on her stomach, and peeked down.

There he was, standing with his back turned and scanning the street with a rifle in his hands. If she tried to go down he would hear her and even if he didn't she would have to go behind the house to avoid him seeing her but there could be more guys that way.

She sighed and pulled out her bow, "Sorry buddy," she said to herself, "It's me or you." The guy went down without a sound so she retrieved her arrow and made a run for it. When she was sure no one was following her, Ellie concentrated on leaving town only to hear footsteps closing in on her.

"I got you!" A chill went down her spine when she recognized the voice then she was knocked off her feet when Alan tackled her. Ellie was pressed down on her stomach, the man used his hand to keep her pinned whilst the other grabbed the back of her head, "I'm gonna make you scream little girl," he said cruelly. Ellie felt his hand run down her cheek and no matter how hard she struggled she couldn't get him off of her, "I might just keep you alive if you don't fight me kid."

"Go to hell," Ellie struggled harder and when his hand came close to her mouth she managed to move her head slightly and bite his finger hard. The bone broke and Alan cried out in pain. All it took was for him to lose his balance and Ellie managed to struggle free. She pushed the guy down on his back and pulled out her knife so she could stab the guy right between the legs, three times just to be safe.

"Try fucking me now asshole," Ellie said into his ear then she ran the knife across his throat, "Bitch!" She left Alan drowning in his own blood.

Ellie managed to get away without anymore trouble so the rest of the night was spent following her compass north until she left the town behind and by the time the sun got up she had managed to rest in an old van a mile outside the city, safe behind the locked doors…

In the morning Ellie's foot was not much better but she wanted to put as much distance between her and those Hunters as possible so she went at a steady pace, weaving in between cars and looting whatever supplies she could until it was almost night time. She was in the countryside again now with pretty much no where to sleep save for an abandoned RV. She wasn't going to complain so she limped inside and checked around.

"Awesome. a comic book!"


	3. Time to heal

_There may be a pattern of Ellie getting hurt on this but believe me there is a story to it, I'm no sadist...__I hope you folks enjoy chapter 3, it's my favorite so far.  
_

Ellie licked her finger then turned the page of the comic book she had been reading. The RV she found last night was pretty comfortable and she sat on the bed with her foot resting on a pillow. She had managed to lock the door with a key from the ignition up front so she was pretty safe here so long as she kept quiet.

She chuckled at the comic but the action made her lip and eye hurt. Her left eye was black and the swelling hadn't gone down much since the beating she suffered a few nights ago but she was in high spirits now and just relaxing on a comfy bed with a comic book made her happy. She was in no hurry to move on until her ankle was better, she had scavenged some canned food last night and had enough to last her a week if she ate it sparingly.

She turned another page of the comic book and laughed again, "Aw man this thing is gonna get me killed," she threw it to her side, deciding to read more later on so she had something to do. She lay back on the bed and let out a long sigh, she was far from relaxed but she could imagine some couple resting their heads here twenty years ago before the Infection started.

"I wonder if they had kids?" she said aloud then looked around, "Probably not, where would they sleep?" Eventually Ellie succumbed to boredom and she wished her damn ankle would heal already. For the next five hours she just napped on the bed and when it got dark she ate some food before going to sleep…

Ellie woke up the next morning and tested her ankle, still sore to walk on; she lay back down on the bed with a bored sigh. "If Joel was here he'd know what to do now," she said to herself seeing as no one was around, "Hell, he might even like it that I chose to stay here." She missed him more and more everyday; everything was so much easier with Joel and far less scary. Beforehand if they saw a clicker she knew Joel would find a way to kill or avoid it without a doubt in her mind but on her own she felt so helpless and small.

"I wish you were still here you old bastard," she sat up again and tried to stand, "Come on Ellie, let's see if you can walk a little more." She couldn't and with a yelp of surprise Ellie fell forward onto her face, the crash as she hit the floor was loud and she panicked then began listening outside for any noises.

There was nothing but birds singing in the sunlight over the occasional breeze…until.

"Did you hear that?" said a chillingly familiar voice.

"Yeah I did," came a new one, "It came from that RV."

"Go check it out, I don't want any Runners on my ass before we find that kid," the first man told the other who obeyed with a 'sure thing boss'.

It all fit into place now, Ellie did recognize that voice and it belonged to the leader of that same group of Hunters back in town not far from where she was, the one's who bust her ankle in the first place. Ellie snapped out of her panic and made a desperate crawl for the bed to hide under it.

The RV door opened and two pairs of thick boots stepped inside. Ellie held her breath as he started to look around. First he checked the driver's seat then the small space with an old toilet. "God what a stink," he said as he closed the foldaway door with a quick slam.

_Ha_,Ellie thought to herself, _you're welcome._ The Hunter turned around and started opening and closing the cupboards under the countertops in the small kitchen.

Ellie smiled, _dumb asshole, _she thought again, _like I could fit in any of those_.

Next he turned his attention to the bed, his boots where mere inches away from Ellie's nose, and he pulled away the covers. "Hey boss I found a backpack!" the guy called.

"What's it look like?" the leader called back.

"Big and green, there's a bow and arrows in here man!"

"The kid had a bow, she's probably close so look harder but be careful!"

"I just need to check under the bed," Ellie almost gasped aloud. She desperately tried to get to her switchblade but the Hunter had already gotten to his knees then he leaned over sideways and poked his bearded, filthy head out in front of hers. His eyes widened in shock as Ellie fumbled in her pocket for the blade as she groaned desperately for it to come out.

"I think I got her, c'mere kid!" the next thing Ellie knew was she was being dragged by the scruff of the neck out from under the bed and he held forced his hand into pockets to get her knife, "Red hair you said right?"

"That's her," the leader called back, "Throw her out to me."

The Hunter laughed cruelly before going to the door. Ellie kicked and elbowed him as much as she could as well as screaming at the top of her lungs but it did no good, the guy was much bigger and stronger than her. When they reached the door he literally threw her onto the hard, tarmac road right in front of the leader where she landed painfully on her side.

"That's definitely her," the man told his comrade, "Good job man."

"Are we gonna kill her this time?" Ellie felt the other man hold her down with his foot on her back and she cried out in agony as he pushed harder than necessary.

The leader nodded but held up one finger so he could have a second. "You know kid, I like your guts," he told her softly as he crouched and Ellie glared up at him angrily, "But you killed three of my boys so now I gotta put you down, it's a shame though, my boys would have enjoyed your company." Ellie stared at him defiantly but didn't speak even though she wanted to scream at the pervert, "If you beg it might make things better for you?"

"I'm not begging asshole," Ellie spat in his face only to be slapped across the cheek.

"Little shit," the man got up, "Fine, I'll take my time and have a little fun!"

Ellie was worried he might go through his threat and rape her but he had something far more painful in mind. He moved behind Ellie and took a hold of her sore ankle then squeezed it hard, constantly applying more and more pressure to her injured foot until her resolve weakened and she started to cry.

"Beg me to stop," the guy told her, "Then we'll kill you nice and quick!"

Through sobbing fits and a shaky voice, Ellie managed to say, "Go fuck yourself." The Hunter applied more and more pressure and when that didn't work he used his free hand to slowly bend her foot. The more he pulled the more strain he put on the bone, if he kept this up he'd break her ankle any second now.

"Got anything to say now girly?"

Although her face was pained and her voice hoarse from screaming she shouted out, "Stop, no, please stop!" he let her go almost immediately and Ellie let her head droop as her tears dropped to the ground.

"See that wasn't so hard," he got up and laughed, "Even stubborn little brats like you can be tamed in the end." He stood in front of her again and pulled a gun out of the back of his pants then got back on his knees, "Ask me to shoot you or my friend here will break your foot for real!" He was sadist, he got off on demanding and hurting her.

Ellie's bottom lip quivered, she hated being weak, she hated being small and she sure as hell hated being afraid of this asshole and his gay ass boyfriend, "Why don't you and princess here suck my fucking dick?" Ellie said angrily and spat on him again, this time in the eye.

The leader snarled and grabbed Ellie by the hair and shouted into her ear, "Wrong fucking answer kid!" With a nod to his friend Ellie felt her sore foot be twisted again but suddenly a gunshot cracked through the air and the guy trying to break her foot fell sideways. Blood splattered across the RV and his head cracked on the ground.

"Holy shit," the leader shouted and made a run for cover with his gun held high but he was too late and he too was shot in the head by the hidden shooter. Ellie waited for another gunshot aimed at her but none came.

Ellie wasn't taking any chances however.

She crawled desperately for the dead guy's gun but before she even reached it she felt something press against her mouth and cheeks then she blacked out…

Ellie was falling in darkness, like a slow breath releasing the air whooshed past her then suddenly she remembered what was meant to be happening, she wasn't meant to be falling…no she was on a road after being attacked and tortured…then someone knocked her out…Ellie looked up and saw a light so she struggled towards it…

Ellie gasped awake but she found that she couldn't move and her head hurt. Her vision was blurred but she blinked a few times and the tears in her eyes washed away so that she could make out the room she was in. She was handcuffed to a radiator in what appeared to be a kid's room back in the day. There was a bed, desk and an old computer but also a wardrobe and a chest of drawers.

Ellie managed to move her head when it didn't feel so heavy anymore and she got a good look at herself. The first thing she noticed was her change of clothes, "These aren't my clothes?" she mumbled to herself. Before she had been wearing a brown jacket, red shirt and blue jeans but now she was in black jeans and a green shirt with not much else save for underwear.

Since she had no shoes on she saw that her foot was wrapped tightly in a bandage but what was creepy was that her skin wasn't dirty anymore, someone had cleaned and dressed her and even taken the time to bandage her up. Ellie tried to shake the handcuffs free of the radiator, if the guy who had done this had been so comfortable taking off her clothes who knew what else he might do?

She shook and pulled as hard as she could but unlike back at Bill's Town she couldn't break free. "Hey!" she cried out, "Let me the fuck out of here, hey!"

It didn't take long for footsteps to approach the door and when it opened a tall woman with blonde hair stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. The woman smiled when she looked at Ellie and was about to speak when Ellie repeated her demand to be freed. "Calm down," the woman told Ellie sternly, "People are sleepin' okay?"

"You think I give a shit!" Ellie pulled on her handcuffs again, "Take these damn things off!"

"I can't," she whispered and pointed to Ellie's right arm, "I found your bite."

Panic crossed Ellie's face for a second but she tried to change the subject, "You're the one who undressed me?"

The woman rolled her eyes, "I had to look for bites; I have people to look after and kids too," she said sternly, "Don't worry, it was just me and you in here when I did it."

Ellie simmered down a little, she could understand that and at least it wasn't some guy. "So…" she asked nervously, "Are you going to kill me?"

"You mean because of the bite?" the woman asked Ellie, who nodded, "I don't know, I should but…" she looked uneasy, "See here's the thing; it doesn't look like any bite I've ever seen?"

"That's because its months old," Ellie told her quickly, "I was bitten but I never turned, not even after two days I swear to god!"

After a moment of thought the woman spoke. "I'm not taking the risk," she told Ellie simply who thought to herself this was it but was pleasantly surprised when the woman continued, "You'll stay down here until your ankles better and if you haven't turned by then you have to leave, we can't afford another mouth to feed for too long." She reached over and undid the handcuffs with a key, "Go lie on the bed, the house we're in has some books if you're interested?"

Ellie rubbed her wrists and nodded then hobbled over to the bed but the woman kept a safe distance and didn't offer any help. Ellie climbed on and rested against the headboard with a pain groan because of her ankle. "That's fine I guess," Ellie said to the woman.

The woman nodded, "I'll have someone bring them in, if you leave this room though we will kill you do you understand?"

"Gotcha, I'm grounded," Elle grumbled and lay on the bed then yawned loudly.

"Get some rest," the woman left without another word so Ellie covered herself in the blanket on the bed and went too sleep…

For the next three days Ellie never left this room. After the attic she hid in back in the town, the RV and now this room she was becoming sick to death of small spaces and once she was healthy again she'd be happy to see the back of this group. No one was allowed into her room save to feed her twice a day so that meant no company and all she had for entertainment was books with pages missing and when she found one that was whole it was usually boring as hell but eventually she settled on something to pass the time.

As far as she knew her door was locked so any escape was impossible but every morning the woman would come in a check her ankle as well as bring Ellie breakfast.

They hardly ever spoke, in fact apart from sharing names the woman, Angelica, didn't seem the least bit interested in Ellie or how she got hurt or why two Hunters were torturing her but Ellie knew she wasn't entirely uncompassionate, she could have left her to die after all…

At the end of five days doing pretty much nothing but reading and walking once in a while Ellie felt confident she could leave. She felt uneasy here, like she could be shot at any second so it was time to move on. She walked steadily over to the door and knocked on it loudly until someone answered.

The door opened and a rifle was pointed at her by a young guy no older than fifteen or sixteen. "Back on the bed," he told Ellie, "You're not allowed to come out yet!"

Ellie put her hands up, "Hey, calm down I'm ready to leave," she told him, "You know, get back on the road." She tapped her once sore foot off the floor a few times, "See, all better now alright?"

He looked her up and down, "I'll go get Angelica," he told her, "Wait on the bed."

"Don't forget my stuff," she called down the hall then moved back to the bed and sat with her arms and legs crossed until Angelica came in with her bag and a new jacket and boots, both were thick and warm.

"We used some of your food to feed you but you still have enough to last you," she told Ellie, "And we took some of your ammo in trade for the bandages and warm clothes."

Ellie snatched her pack and rummaged through it after dressing fully; she had enough ammo and food so she wasn't going to protest. "You could have asked and I would have let you, you know," she told Angelica who just shrugged her shoulders with folded arms.

Ellie stood up and put swung her rifle over her shoulder, put her gun in the back of her pants and finally slid her bow over her other shoulder. Once she was ready Ellie held out her hand to Angelica who stared at it before shaking it.

"Thanks, "Ellie said politely, "For saving my life and shit."

Angelica just smiled, "Don't mention it," she took Ellie by the shoulder; "I'll show you to the door."

For the first time in five days Ellie was taken out of the bedroom and through a large house filled with people. There had to be at least four families here and they numbered in at least sixteen people, including the kids. No wonder they wanted to keep her contained, if she had turned then things might've gotten ugly fast.

Ellie walked to the door and was about to open it herself when it burst open, nearly knocking her flat on her back, and a guy ran in clutching his left side. Blood dripped onto the floor and he collapsed onto Ellie with his arms around her.

"Holy shit," Ellie shouted fearfully as she caught him, "Hey, you alright?"

The guy looked at Angelica as Ellie held him up, "Hunters shot me," he said slowly then mumbled a bit but Ellie picked up, "…are coming…" Then he went limp, he was unconscious. She looked around as Angelica leaped into action, barking for her people to get their weapons and then to move outside to secure the perimeter.

She pushed the dead guy off of Ellie and spoke to her, "Can you shoot kid?" Ellie nodded, "Can you kill a man."

"Y-yeah I can," Ellie was still shaken from the fright she got from the injured guy bursting in but she swung her rifle round into her hands and said in a calmer voice, "Where do you want me?" There wasn't any question about whether or not she'd turn anymore, not when she was able to shoot.

"Go upstairs and shoot from the windows in the room where the kids are, it covers the front gate," she grabbed a little girl by the shoulder as she made for the stairs, "Alice, show her where to go sweetheart," she pushed Ellie towards the stairs and ran after the little girl who was leading her to their safe room.

Ellie reached the first floor and followed the girl into a bedroom where they bolted the door with a block of wood reinforced with metal but Ellie went straight to a window after making sure the girl was settled. She had Joel's old rifle and he had fit it with a scope so it was ideal for sniping. She opened the window and peered out of it, watching the men and woman surround the country house and using a low wall as cover that circled the perimeter which consisted of trees. Ellie realized they were in the forest close to where Ellie had been attacked at the RV but she couldn't see the road from here. The kid who stopped her from leaving her room earlier joined Ellie at the window and cocked his own rifle which was minus a scope.

She looked at him judgmentally, "Know how to use that thing?" she asked him.

He scoffed, "What a damn stupid question." Ellie laughed with him.

There was a few minutes of tense silence, Ellie kept a sharp eye for the Hunters who had yet to appear but soon enough she heard a shout. "Back off," Angelica suddenly shouted and Ellie noticed a group of seven men approaching. They were pretty much outgunned, "If you boys want to live I suggest you turn around and walk away alright?"

One man stepped forward with his hands up, "We're only here for a kid who caused us some trouble back in town; she's got red hair with a damaged ankle," one of them said, "If she's here, give her up and we'll go?"

Ellie knew they meant her, everyone did, but Angelica just shook her head. "Ain't anyone here with a sore ankle," she shouted back and Ellie smiled because it wasn't a total lie since she was better, "And you shot one of my men first so you got until ten to back away before my people start shootin', last warning!"

Angelica started counting but she hadn't even reached seven before one of the Hunters shouted whilst pointing at her, "There's the little bitch, she's at that window," Ellie panicked and shot the guy in the shoulder.

What happened next was a bloodbath, the Hunters were fired on and without immediate cover four were dead in under a minute while the others hid behind trees. Ellie pointed her gun at a fifth guy and managed to get him in the back then the people down below finished him off. One of them lit a Molotov and was about to throw it, Ellie's shot missed but the boy beside her hit the Molotov and spilled the flaming contents over the thrower.

He laughed, "Did you see that!" he shouted at Ellie, "That was fucking awesome!"

Ellie laughed, "You the man dude," she said then ducked down when a Hunter aimed at her and took the time to reload, "I got one as well though."

"Did you, when?" the kid fired a shot.

"Like, ten seconds ago," Ellie shouted then got back up and looked for another target, "There by those bushes," she told the boy who started looking, "It's alright I got him." Ellie lined the scope up with his head and fired, his head exploded, "Fuck yeah, oh that is gross!"

"Man!" the kid laughed, after a few seconds he took a calming breath, "That's the last of 'em."

Ellie looked herself just to be sure but Angelica was already giving an all clear after two of her guys came back after scouting. The men and women on their side where unharmed and it was refreshing to Ellie because she had half expected a few to at least get injured but she was glad they didn't.

Ellie opened the door and the kids went to find their parents, the boy who had helped her shoot patted Ellie on the shoulder then held out that hand for a high five, Ellie gave him some skin then followed him back downstairs. Angelica met on her on the ground floor and she looked impressed.

"Nice job you two," she said proudly, "Tony, go make sure Rick's not bleeding out?" Ellie looked at the floor and noticed the guy who had collapsed on her was gone. Angelica turned to face Ellie directly, "As for you," she studied Ellie for a second, "We have a place here for you if you want it?"

Ellie almost accepted but she had her heart set on Tommy's Town, she knew people there after all, "I'd like too but I'm on my way to Jackson County, there are people up there that I know."

"Are you sure, it's a long walk?"

"It can't be more than a few more days," Ellie remembered it taking less on Callus.

Angelica looked disappointed and sighed, "We could have used a shot like you," she said and put her hands on Ellie's shoulder, "You be safe then, if things don't work out in Jackson County then you come find us, alright?"

Ellie smiled slightly, "Yeah, I'll keep that in mind."

"And about that bite," Angelica whispered, "Maybe have someone try and explain it?"

"Maybe," she told her but withheld her reason for being out here in the first place.

Angelica moved out of her way so Ellie could get to the door and she walked out into the woods. "Good luck kid and watch out for Hunters in the woods, their might be more," she said as Ellie walked out.

Ellie waved as she walked, not looking back, but she kept her rifle ready just in case.

A sentry watched Ellie go but then was surprised when she turned back and spoke to him.

"Uh…where's the road?"


	4. Two's company

_Yes I know two updates in one day but believe me this is __**not **__a rush job and nor is it filler as I stayed up to late to perfect it. I do feel some issues were properly addressed in this chapter. I've decided that this will be the last chapter after all, the fifth chapter was Ellie settling into Tommy's Town but in truth it was a boring idea and where this chapter ended is as good a place to finish it as any.  
_

_If anyone has noticed **any **kind of error in this fan-fic be it character, lore or location related then please let me know, I hate being ignorant but no matter how much I research the story and stuff I'm bound to miss some things so don't be shy in correcting me just don't be a complete dick about it .. I'm not American either (Scottish :D) so my dialogue may also suffer when I try to imitate the slang and stuff so if it's off or a little bit offensive let me know.  
_

The road was silent save for the singing of birds in the trees and the song that Ellie whistled which echoed into the distance. She had left the house in the woods yesterday afternoon and had slept under the stars in her sleeping bag. It had been nice if not for the constant fear of discovery but in the end she woke up safe and well so after a quick breakfast she was back to it. Her ankle had given her some bother but she was still walking fine, the odd twinge of pain was all she felt now which was bearable so long as she could walk or run when the need arose.

A village came into sight that afternoon and Ellie stopped to decide whether or not she should go through it or around it. She recognized the route as the way she and Joel took from Jamesville but they hadn't searched it fully and now that Ellie was pretty low on food she thought a scavenger hunt might be in order.

Ellie decided to just go through it but she wouldn't follow the main road so she could scavenge some food from the houses. She used her rifle scope to check it out from a safe distance but apart from some rats skittering about there didn't appear to be anyone or anything there so she approached it slowly with her handgun ready. Hiding behind a car she peeked out so she could look into the open door of a house, it was hanging off its hinges which meant it had been broken into and the windows were broken too.

"Probably some Infected," she said with a sigh, "Maybe they're long gone?" She still wasn't too confident but she decided it was worth the risk, maybe they chased off some people and hey left their food behind? She steeled her courage and wondered inside quietly but it became quickly apparent people had died here. Blood stained the walls and pieces of shredded clothing littered the floor but as far as bodies were concerned, there wasn't any. Ellie took a step back and shook her head; it wasn't worth the risk anymore as the blood stains were still a bit shiny and wet.

Taking two steps back she felt something block her exit then wrap their arms around her. Ellie struggled but was quieted by a voice in ear.

"Don't make any noise, there're infected in here," he whispered, "I'm not gonna hurt you kid." Ellie was released and she pushed past the guy. "Where you going?" he suddenly asked her.

"Away from this damn house, where else would I fucking go dumbass," she said back as quietly as she could.

"Don't you want the food that's inside?" she turned back around to get a good look at the guy. He was an adult of maybe thirty and wearing a tattered jacket, rubber boots, black but slightly torn trousers and a green shirt underneath his jacket. In his hands he held a machete, the handle was held together by masking tape.

"How do you know theirs food in there?" Ellie asked, "And why would you share it with me?"

"I was with a group when we were attacked by Runners here, I hid in the forest but the others didn't get out in time so the foods still in there with them but…well they're infected," he approached Ellie who put a hand out in front of her to stop him as well as raising her handgun, "I said I wasn't going to-"

"I know what you said," Ellie told him, "I've just bad experiences with men out here."

He nodded and walked backwards with his hands up, "Understandable," he said with said a nod, "But do you want the food or not, you cover my back and I give you half?"

"How many were in your group?"

"Five of us, including me," he told her.

"And how many Runners attacked?"

"I'd say ten but I took care of most of them and managed to lose the rest in the forest nearby, Clickers are easy to avoid," he assured her, "It's just my friends you need to worry about but I didn't get back in time to get the food while they were still alive."

"So we have four Runners inside?" he nodded and Ellie put down her gun, "You better not double cross me?"

"On my mother's life," he put a hand on his heart and the other in the air, "We good to go in there?"

Ellie looked into his eyes, she didn't really know if he was lying but he had been pretty genuine so far, "You go first," Ellie told him, "I got your back."

"Alright then," he turned around and Ellie followed behind him. "I had to break open the door on my first attempt but the guys cornered me in the basement where the food was, I only just managed to get out and lock them in there."

"It's going to be close quarters?" he nodded, "Alright, give me a second." Ellie quickly got on her knees and rummaged through her pack to pull out her Shorty, a sawn-off shotgun.

"Where the hell did you find that kid?"

Ellie looked sad when she thought of Joel, even though he had forced her to move on from Sam and Henry she found it hard to do it for him, "Looted it off a friends body nearly two weeks ago," she said glumly then stood up, "I'm Ellie by the way; you put that on my tombstone if things go bad."

The man laughed, "I'm Vince," he told her back, "Just burn me if you can."

"We'll see," Ellie indicated to the door again and the pair made their way down to the basement. When they got to the door it was still locked so whatever was inside had remained inside.

"Let me go in first," he told her, "If things get bad I'll call you in but otherwise just make sure nothing comes up behind me off the street."

"Alright good luck," Ellie looked out of the broken door but save for them the village was clear so far. Vince opened the basement door with a key he had obviously found and gently opened the door, "I see them," he whispered, "I'll try and do this quietly."

Ellie nodded and watched Vince walk down the wooden staircase but all it took was one creaky step to grab their attention and Vince rushed back out. "Fuck that plan, start shooting kid!"

Ellie and Vince moved back as the Runners came out of the basement door one after another. She held her Shorty in two hands and fired on one, the shot hit it in the chest which sent the Runner flying back down the steps and knocked over the rest. Vince moved in quickly and stabbed one in the head before it could get up as Ellie loaded another shot then he jumped back as the last two regained their balance.

One pushed ahead and Ellie was about to fire but her gun jammed. Before she could say a word the Runner pounced on her, sending them both to the wooden floor with the Runner pinning her down. She held it in the face as it snapped and bit at her and in a desperate bid she pressed her thumbs into the things eyes sockets and popped its eyes like grapes!

A second later Vince's machete impaled it through the head and he pulled Ellie up once she had thrown the corpse off of her. "Did it bite you kid?" he asked her, the fourth Runner was already dead; a gash in the top of its head told Ellie that Vince had slashed it downwards.

"No…no I'm fine," Ellie said shakily, "Just a little shaken is all."

"You'll be fine kid, nice job by the way," he told her but Ellie didn't feel very useful.

"I only got one," she said angrily, "My damn gun jammed, piece of shit."

Vince laughed, "Yeah but you did good," he gave her a hard pat on the back which made Ellie stumble a few paces forward, "Turn that frown upside down and help me split the food huh?"

Ellie forced a smile and nodded. They spent the remainder of the afternoon splitting the food fairly and it was quite a good amount too. At the end of it all her pack was a little heavier and there was a good amount of food to split. "I'm loaded up," Vince said after they both ate, "Where you headed Ellie?"

"Jackson County," she told him, "You?"

"I'm just a wanderer," he told her, "You know, I move around and try to stay alive until I find a good place to settle." He got up and headed for the door, was he going to leave without saying goodbye?

Ellie watched him climb the stairs and it seemed it was going to be that way until he came back down. "Are you coming Ellie?"

Ellie glared at him. "I don't need babysitting," she told him stubbornly.

"Yeah but I'd hate myself if I didn't see you to Jackson County," he said with a shrug, "I'll take you there and a little further if need be, what do you say, I'm good company?" Ellie stood up and studied him carefully, she'd grown tired of walking alone and he had saved her life during the fight not long ago so she nodded her acceptance. Vince smiled and started to climb the stairs again with Ellie behind him. They left the house and Vince's friends behind but he never said a word about it.

_Maybe he doesn't get attached to people like I do? _Ellie thought to herself. They walked out of the village in relative silence and once they were back in the open Ellie decided to question Vince.

"Are you going to miss your friends?" she asked him as she walked a few paces behind him until she was one hundred percent sure of him.

"What?" he looked puzzled for a second, "Oh you mean my group, uh…we weren't really friends."

"So why did you stay with them?"

"I actually hadn't been with them that long," Vince said with a shrug, "I helped them out of a jam and they let me stick around but when the infected came they just didn't get out in time."

"Did you warn them they were coming?"

"Of course I did," he snapped, turning round to face Ellie who took a nervous step back, "What kind of a person do you think I am?"

"I didn't mean anything by it," Ellie snapped back, "I was just asking."

"Well don't, they're dead and I moved on fast just like anyone else out here," he sighed and turned around, "I wasn't even going to stick around in the first place so their dying means shit to me." Despite those words Ellie noticed how glum he looked.

"You sound like that guy I looted the gun off of," Ellie ran to walk beside him, "We travelled together for a few months and we met these two guys, a kid near my age called Sam and his big brother Henry," she looked glumly at her feet, "Sam got bit without telling us and when he tried to attack me, Henry had to shoot him and them he shot himself."

"Can we skip to the life lesson Ellie?" Vince kept looking around just in case something might be waiting for them, Ellie was the same.

"Oh…well my friend told me to stop bringing them up, like it was mentioning Christmas in July or something, you know," Ellie tried to explain, "It isn't worth mentioning because it isn't important."

"Your friend sounds smart, what happened to him?"

"He died," Ellie said glumly, "And left me all alone." Vince gave her a sorry look.

"You don't like being alone?" They had come across a mess of cars on the road so Vince helped Ellie over a ditch to avoid going through them.

Ellie sighed heavily, "I am, yeah," she forced a nervous laugh, "Only Sam ever knew that."

"So why are you telling me?"

"Because you asked," Ellie stumbled over a tree branch but Vince caught her although her ankle throbbed for a few seconds after, "Thanks," she said and regained her balance although she started limping a little.

He nodded and they walked in silence for a few more minutes but Vince broke it with another question, "What was your friend's name?"

"Joel," Ellie said simply, "Can…can we not talk about him anymore?"

"Sure," for the remainder of the day the pair just walked in silence. At around the evening time Vince said they should stop.

"Bullshit," Ellie exclaimed, "We've got another hour or two before sundown?"

"Ellie it's nearly winter," he told her as-a-matter-of-factly, "It'll be dark in an hour and I'm not comfortable walking in the dark out here." She made a 'pssh' sound and sat on the ground. "No need to get snippy, if you wanna keep walking and run into some of those Clickers I didn't get, then be my guest?"

Ellie looked nervously around the forest, "Nah…your okay." She took off her backpack and opened up a can of food, "Hey, you wanna share?" she offered, "You know, so we don't open up two cans and let the food spoil?"

"What are you having?" Vince had his can opener out and was about to pierce a can when Ellie asked her question.

"Beans," she said then chuckled, "The musical fruit."

Vince made a face of amusement, "That damn rhyme's older than me," he shifted over to Ellie, "I'll get a fire going and we'll cook these, I have a small pan."

By the end of the night Ellie and Vince could happily say they hadn't laughed so much in a while, he himself had much more interesting stories to tell of times before the Infection when he was a kid. Ellie could swear he was about the biggest dumbass kid back in the day and the stories brought tears of laughter to her eyes.

"So your mom's still alive?" Ellie asked after she came up and Vince nodded, "Where is she?"

"On some old farm not too far from here with my brother and dad," Ellie wondered if she meant Derek, Betty and Thomas so she asked and he nodded, "Yeah, how d'you know them?"

"They helped me after my friend died two weeks ago," Ellie told him, "They're good people."

"We're a good family," he told her, "But I decided to see what I could make of myself out here."

"The farm was pretty secure though, why bother?"

Vince thought for a few seconds, "Do you ever think about your future?" he asked Ellie who shook her head, "I wanted to be doctor, still do, but there's a shortage of people to learn from on the farm so I left to go looking."

"Maybe you should join the Fireflies?" Ellie suggested, "They have doctors, they'd happily teach you?"

Vince nodded, "I thought about it but where would I go looking?"

"Salt Lake City," Ellie reached into her backpack and took out the voice recording of the dead Firefly back at the University, "Here listen to this."

For the next few minutes Vince was silent and when Ellie's information was confirmed a smile lit up his face, "Damn that's handy," he said and handed Ellie the recorder but she told him to keep it.

"Something to remember me by," she said with a fake, wistful look, "Your BFF Ellie." She looked up at him sideways and batted her eyes playfully.

"I'm not going anywhere until you're safe in Jackson County kiddo," he pocketed the recorder, "Once that's done I'll be on my way, now you'd best get some sleep, I'll take first watch."

As Ellie lay in her sleeping bag she contemplated asking him to turn around and take her to Salt Lake City since it was why she was out here in the first place but then she reminded herself that it could just be another wild goose chase with nothing but disappointment, death and (most likely) Infected to greet them…

The next morning the two set off again after eating. Ellie was deep in thought and it wasn't lost on Vince. "You got something on your mind kid?" he asked her. The forest was still to their right and left, it was a pretty big one.

Ellie looked up at and smiled, "it's probably nothing," she said, "Just…thinking about stuff."

"Yeah I can hear the cogs in your head turning," he said with a chuckle, "You must be thinking real hard?"

Ellie just smiled, "I was thinking about Salt Lake City," she admitted, "What if there's no one there if you make it there?"

"You mean like that at that University where your friend died?" Ellie nodded, she had told him she had been looking for the Fireflies with Joel but not about her bite, "Well I admit I've had my doubts too but I'm not going to settle down until I find someone willing to teach me about medicine and what not so if walking there gets me one step closer then what's the harm?" he smiled at Ellie, he had such a contagious smile, "Why let one bad situation stop you from fulfilling your dreams, am I right?"

That hit Ellie hard; she had given up on Salt Lake simply because the University had been a total bust and it had led to Joel dying. Was this really the right thing to do though, just give up?

"I smell burning," Vince said, snapping Ellie back to reality, "What're you thinking so hard about now?"

"Shut up man," Ellie snapped, "It's none of your damn business!" Vince was shocked but he didn't press the issue and they both fell silent.

Ellie and Vince didn't say a word to one another that night either and she took first watch so she could mull things over in her head. She liked Vince and she didn't want to not see him again only too constantly wonder if he had made it to Salt Lake or got killed along the way. Ellie wanted him to stay close so she didn't have to worry. But that was selfish and she wouldn't guilt trip him into abandoning his dream.

She decided she would just apologize for snapping at him earlier and not let him know about her doubts so she got up from her post when her turn on lookout was over and walked across their small camp so she could wake him up and make amends but before she could shake him awake0 she heard a noise in the trees.

A clicking sound that bounced off the trees and echoed around them.

Ellie went pale and desperately shook Vince awake, when he saw the panic in her eyes he asked, "What?' but Ellie shushed him and mouthed 'Clickers' which he saw in the dim light of the fire. He nodded and scrambled out his sleeping bag as quickly and quietly as he could before grabbing it and his pack and guiding Ellie towards the road.

As they walked Ellie turned her head and saw them shambling in on their camp after probably hearing her walking on the bed of dry leaves. How much more luck could Ellie have before she, or someone else, died? Ellie was careful in every step she took but no matter how hard the couple tried they couldn't take a step without the dry leaves cracking under their feet, it was like a gunshot each time.

The Clickers heads turned all at once to zone in on the sounds, there were five in all, and they began to move towards the pair. "Run," Vince hissed to Ellie and the two started to bolt towards the road. Ellie was relieved when they saw it, once there they wouldn't be walking on dry leaves and twigs anymore and might be able to lose the Clickers if they were quiet.

_Luck, don't fail me now! _She thought.

About two meters from the road Ellie's ankle gave way and she stumbled forward and landed on her stomach. A Clicker closed the distance fairly quickly and was on top of her in seconds as she lay on her front. "Vince!" she cried to her friend who had doubled back to help. With a swing of his machete he killed the Clicker and Ellie began to crawl out.

Vince reached down to grab Ellie's hand, "Watch out!" she cried but it was too late.

A Clicker stumbled into the space where Vince's arm reached for Ellie's and in an opportunistic frenzy the Clicker took a hold of it and bit into Vince's wrist hard. Vince screamed out in pain as skin and muscle were torn away from the bone but Ellie just managed to get to her feet.

Vince tried to break free but he couldn't so Ellie went to help him but Vince stopped her, "No Ellie just get out of here," he cried as he struggled, "It's alright, just go!" He threw his machete at her and it landed into the ground point first. She watched as the group of Clickers overwhelmed Vince as he continued to scream for her to get away.

She stood there with tears in her eyes, knowing it was too late for him anyway and there was nothing she could do, "I'm sorry," she shouted then grabbed his machete and ran for the road and as far away from the Clickers as possible.

She kept on going until the sun came up and only after she knew she wasn't being chased. Tired and sore, Ellie fell to her hands and knees and vomited onto the road and when she stopped she pressed her hands to her face and just cried for what felt like hours.

_Every time, _she thought, _Every time you get close to someone they die or just leave you!_

She forced herself to stop, "I have to get there today," she told herself, "Not far now just one final push." She recognized the area and the river that cut through the landscape. She was so close, so fucking close, and once she was there she would be safe. As she walked Ellie approached a sign and read it.

"Welcome to Jackson County."

She had made it…

The End

_I hope you guys enjoyed this, reviews will let me know whether or not I nailed it so I urge you to criticize, good or bad. I may write another Fan Fic of the last of Us if the mood takes me and this one ends up going down well._


End file.
